What does an information technology generalist do?
An information technology generalist performs a variety of tasks in a company. They may install and upgrade software, establish networks and systems, troubleshoot problems, perform regular maintenance checks, and repair systems and networks as needed. There are also instances where they may provide technical support to clients and employees, handle calls and correspondence, coordinate with different departments, oversee data security and recovery plans, and develop strategies to improve a company's information technology operations while adhering to its policies and regulations.
Information technology generalist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real information technology generalist resumes:
- Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
- Provide first-level networking support for routers, switches, WAPs, and firewalls.
- Utilize various types of equipment to test, troubleshoot, and identify network problems.
- Champion the selection and ultimate use of Java and object-orient design and programming on a web-base financial inventory management system.
- Create a comprehensive QA project plan that track the work of all QA resources globally.
- Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
Information technology generalist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Information Technology Generalists are proficient in Printers, Troubleshoot, and Computer System. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Information Technology Generalists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Printers, 8%
Installed and configured wireless network and network devices including firewall, printers, NAS, and security cameras.
- Troubleshoot, 7%
Installed, configure, troubleshoot Video Teleconferencing equipment utilized by office staff.
- Computer System, 6%
Prepared design specifications for MVD engineering computer systems.
- Technical Support, 5%
Provided technical support in preparation of off-site equipment.
- Windows Server, 4%
Managed the Field Maintenance MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS database using Windows Server 2008 R2 on a client/server based network.
- SCCM, 4%
Configured and deployed software and software updates with in SCCM 2007 R3 and WSUS.
"printers," "troubleshoot," and "computer system" are among the most common skills that information technology generalists use at work. You can find even more information technology generalist responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an information technology generalist to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "computer support specialists must be patient and sympathetic." Information technology generalists often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "perform diagnosis and troubleshooting support to end users and customers. "
Listening skills. Many information technology generalist duties rely on listening skills. "support workers must be able to understand the problems that their customers are describing and know when to ask questions to clarify the situation.," so an information technology generalist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways information technology generalist responsibilities rely on listening skills: "communicated with database administrator to resolve problems within the database applications. "
Speaking skills. This is an important skill for information technology generalists to perform their duties. For an example of how information technology generalist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "support workers must describe the solutions to computer problems in a way that a nontechnical person can understand." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an information technology generalist: "monitor for failures and troubleshoot any issues that need to be addressed. ".
Writing skills. A big part of what information technology generalists do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to information technology generalist responsibilities because "strong writing skills are useful for preparing instructions and email responses for employees and customers, as well as for real-time web chat interactions." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical information technology generalist tasks: "worked with network engineers and sponsor personnel in writing change requests to make major network infrastructure changes to operational global circuits. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in information technology generalist job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what information technology generalists do. Information technology generalist responsibilities rely on this skill because "support workers must identify both simple and complex computer problems, analyze them, and solve them." You can also see how information technology generalist duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "administered sftp solutions, zix gateway email encryption device policies and all components of a fortigate firewall. "
The three companies that hire the most information technology generalists are:
- Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings3 information technology generalists jobs
- GloryBee
3 information technology generalists jobs
- Choice Hotels2 information technology generalists jobs
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Compare different information technology generalists
Information technology generalist vs. Information systems technician
An information systems technician is responsible for maintaining the efficiency of various network systems' performance. Information systems technicians provide network troubleshooting, upgrading systems for optimization, maintaining the security of databases, managing the interaction of networks, and inspecting and troubleshooting system inconsistencies. Additional duties include creating network designs based on clients' specifications, configuring software and hardware applications, and creating reports on system issues and resolutions. An information systems technician must have excellent knowledge of information systems procedures, programming languages, detecting malfunctions, and making resolutions promptly.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an information technology generalist are more likely to require skills like "printers," "lan wan," "lan," and "wan." On the other hand, a job as an information systems technician requires skills like "phone calls," "network printers," "help desk," and "technical problems." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Information systems technicians earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $63,116. On the other hand, information technology generalists are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $100,311.information systems technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than information technology generalists. In fact, information systems technicians are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Information technology generalist vs. Information systems analyst
An information systems analyst specializes in conducting cost-efficient research and analysis to determine how information technology can improve a company's business process and growth. One of their primary responsibilities is to collaborate with information systems experts to develop upgrades and all-new systems, respond to inquiries and concerns, provide corrective measures, and meet the IT needs of employees all over the company. Furthermore, it is essential to run tests on systems and determine areas that need improvement.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that information technology generalist responsibilities requires skills like "printers," "troubleshoot," "lan wan," and "sccm." But an information systems analyst might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "project management," "technical issues," "dod," and "win10."
Information systems analysts may earn a higher salary than information technology generalists, but information systems analysts earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $92,013. On the other hand, information technology generalists receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $100,311.In general, information systems analysts achieve higher levels of education than information technology generalists. They're 5.8% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for information technology generalists in the next 3-5 years?
Rebeccah Dawson Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of German studies, University of Kentucky
Information technology generalist vs. Information systems specialist
An Information Systems Specialist is responsible for supporting and developing the database system of an organization. They are responsible for designing and implementing information systems, developing prototypes, and maintaining hardware and software operations. They build information security to protect the computer system against a threat. Information System Specialists must have good communication and analytical skills to adapt to different organizational needs.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an information technology generalist is likely to be skilled in "printers," "lan wan," "sccm," and "lan," while a typical information systems specialist is skilled in "data analysis," "data entry," "strong analytical," and "customer support."
Information systems specialists earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $75,326. Comparatively, information technology generalists have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $100,311.Most information systems specialists achieve a similar degree level compared to information technology generalists. For example, they're 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Information technology generalist vs. Information technology supervisor, information technology
An information technology supervisor of information technology is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's IT operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. It is their duty to spearhead projects, set goals and objectives, coordinate staff, manage budgets and timelines, perform installations and upgrades, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They must remain knowledgeable of the latest technologies, liaise with external parties, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, as a supervisor, it is essential to monitor the performance of the IT teams, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of information technology generalist
Updated January 8, 2025
